Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will meet officials from Enterprise Ireland later this afternoon. I reiterate that Brexit will be triggered in three months and the Department must be proactive and take an all-Ireland approach to the issue of regional development in the context of the national spatial strategy. We urgently need investment, infrastructure and capital projects if we are to achieve any semblance of balanced and sustainable regional development. If we are to create jobs, an integrated approach must be taken, one which deals with housing, infrastructure, public services and economic growth in a holistic manner.

I do not recall the Minister ever speaking about youth unemployment, the skills deficit or the need for a national training and apprenticeship scheme. We should consider Brexit as an opportunity to prioritise the growth of indigenous companies and a chance to finally address the issues of uneven development and regional inequality in all their manifestations. For this reason, I ask the Minister to report back on the progress of the regional action plans, on which she undertook previously to provide a report. I also ask her to keep the House updated on the Department's input to the national spatial strategy.

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